Marine Link
Thursday, March 28, 2024

PEMA T-beam Production Line for Shipbuilding Efficiency

Maritime Activity Reports, Inc.

August 28, 2019

In today’s rapidly changing shipbuilding industry, competitiveness and productivity need to be developed constantly. In practice, it means that every unnecessary work phase and possible bottle neck should be eliminated from the production chain. Pemamek’s automated T-beam production line takes into account these demands, enabling shipbuilders to improve their overall shipyard profitability and efficiency.
 
Automated PEMA T-beam production line enables high capacity and geometrically precise T-beams.

The goal of advanced flat panel fabrication process is to minimize panel deformations and maximize output of the fabrication line. In order to do so, it requires accuracy in panel fabrication, but above all it requires geometrical precision of welded sub-assemblies, such as T-beams, which are later welded to flat panels.

In PEMA T-beam production line, the welding and deformation control system, developed in-house, is an example of innovative integration of modern processes as an essential part of the total fabrication process.

In shipyard steel manufacturing, the size and shape of the parts play significant role in the overall productivity. When parts are precisely positioned and compatibility of the parts is good, the amount of rework and time used on fitting can be minimized. Although, when using higher strength steels and reduced material thicknesses the risk of deformations increases. In T-beam and web assembly on panel and block lines, deformations of welded T-beams tend to cause a lot of unnecessary rework.

“In PEMA T-beam production line, the welding and deformation control system developed in-house, is an example of innovative integration of modern processes as an essential part of the total fabrication process.”

Traditionally, post-weld heat treatment and mechanical straightening processes are used to increase dimensional accuracy of T-beams and make the beams straighter. These post-weld processes may, however, increase or dissolve residual stresses which may result in greater deformations. 

These processes also increase the time used for T-beam production.

In order to tackle these issues, Pemamek has developed fully automated PEMA T-beam production line. The output of the production line is high in capacity and dimensionally accurate for panel fabrication and other shipbuilding processes. Precision in output quality is achieved without any post-weld processes.